ZCZC BPLNAN 0623
UNCLASS IF 120
CIT FOOLN
TT HOKON
TT PEKIN
TI BREM
Fun 040/28-
FM BONNM TO FCOLN
0715002 NOV
GRS 650
UNCLASSIFIED
FM BONN
TC TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER NFR
OF 07150GZ NOVEMBER 85
MN Geld. Me
Mithill
272
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INFO TELELETTER HONG KONG, PEKING, BRUSSELS (TOR H.K.G.0.)
FROM:
DE LYSCOM, BONN
FOLLOWING FOR: C LEEKS ESQ, HKD ECO
COPIED TO:
CHANCERIES: HONG KONG, PEKING, BRUSSELS
1. WITH REFERENCE TO OUR TELEPHONE CONVERSATION OF 7 NOVEMBER,
FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF AN ARTICLE BY PETER ODRICH IN THE
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG, DATELINED HONG KONG, 6 NOVEMBER:
BRITISH AND CHINESE DELEGATIONS WILL MEET THIS MONTH IN PEKING FOR
NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FUTURE TRAVEL PLANS OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE
BRITISH CROWN COLONY. HOWEVER, PROPOSALS SO FAR PUBLISHED BY THE
COLONIAL GOVERNMENT HAVE NOT INSPIRED GREAT CONFIDENCE AMONG THE INHABITANTS OF HONG KONG, BUT HAVE RATHER GIVEN RISE TO FEARS. THE MAIN CONCERN IS THAT THE NEW PASSPORTS MAY NOT BE ACCEPTED BY A
MAJORITY OF STATES AND THAT TRAVEL OPPORTUNITES FOR THE INHABITANTS OF HONG KONG MIGHT BE SEVERELY RESTRICTED, CONTRARY TO THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN LONDON AND PEKING SIGNED IN AUTUMN 1984.
THE DIFFICULTY IN ISSUING TRAVEL DOCUMENTS IS THAT THEY ARE TO BE (AND WILL BE BRITISH DOCUMENTS, BUT ONES WHICH CARRY NO ENTITLEMENT TO PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN GREAT BRITAIN AND WHICH, IN THE FINAL ANALYSTS, ALSO SAY NOTHING ABOUT THE RESPECTIVE HOLDER'S ENTITLEMENT
TO LONG-TERM RESIDENCE IN HONG KONG. BUT PRECISELY THIS COULD HAVE
THE EFFECT THAT THIRD COUNTRIES WILL REFUSE TO ACCEPT THESE
PASSPORTS BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DEPORT THE HOLDERS TO
THEIR HOME COUNTRY SHOULD THIS BE NECESSARY. THE AMERICAN
VICE-PRESIDENT, GEORGE BUSH, TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY DURING A RECENT
VISIT TO HONG KONG TO STATE THAT THE USA AT LEAST WOULD RECOGNISE
THE NEW DOCUMENTS. HOWEVER, THE LEGALLY BINDING NATURE OF SUCH A
STATEMENT IS TAKEN WITH A PINCH OF SALT EVEN BY THOSE CHINESE IN
HONG KONG WHO ARE WELL-DISPOSED TOWARDS AMERICA.
GREAT BRITAIN AND THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA HAD AGREED IN THE TREATY ON THE FUTURE OF THE CROWN COLONY THAT THE INHABITANTS OF HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO HOLD BRITISH PASSPORTS EVEN AFTER THE
RETURN OF SOVEREIGNTY TO CHINA. THESE PASSPORTS ARE NOT VALID FOR
TRIPS TO CHINA, BUT UNDER THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT, THE HOLDERS
HAVE A RIGHT TO PROTECTION BY BRITISH OVERSEAS MISSIONS IN ALL OTHER
COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. AT PRESENT, THE INHABITANTS OF HONG
-KONG HAVE A SO-CALLED BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZEN'S (BDTC)
PASSPORT. THE HOLDERS OF THESE PASSPORTS WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO
EXCHANGE THIS DOCUMENT FOR A BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) PASSPORT IN
A FEW YEARS TIME. THESE BNO PASSPORTS ARE TO COME INTO EFFECT ON 1
JULY 1987. WHEN THE SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG IS RETURNED TO CHINA
- 1.6. ON 1 JULY 1997 - THE BOTC PASSPORTS WILL LOSE THEIR VALIDITY
SINCE THERE CAN THEN NO LONGER BE ANY BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
CITIZENS.
IN PRINCIPLE, PEKING HAS AGREED TO THESE PASSPORTS BEING ISSUED. HOWEVER, THERE IS DISAGREEMENT ABOUT CERTAIN DETAILS CONTAINED IN
THEM. FOR EXAMPLE, CHINA DOES NOT WANT ANY SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE
RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG. THIS IS PARTLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC BASICALLY ONLY WANTS TO TAKE IN THE ETHNIC CHINESE, BUT NOT THE MANY OTHER NATIONALS IN HONG KONG -
PARTICULARLY THOSE FROM ASIA. ONE COMPROMISE COULD BE A REFERENCE IN
THE PASSPORT TO THE HOLDER'S IDENTITY GARD, WHICH COULD THEN BEAR A NOTS ABOUT THE PERMANENT PLACE OF RESIDENCE. BUT THIS IS THE POINT
WHICH MANY HONG KONG CHINESE CRITICISE. THEY POINT OUT THAT A
PASSPORT IS WORTHLESS IF AN IDENTITY CARD IS ALSO REQUIRED. A PERSON
WHO LATER NO LONGER HAD SUCH A CARD WOULD THUS BE STATELESS.
IT IS NOT CERTAIN WHETHER THE NEGOTIATIONS IN PEKING CAN PRODUCE A
COMPROMISE WHICH WILL ACTUALLY PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF THE INHABITANTS OF HONG KONG. IT IS POINTED OUT IN HONG KONG THAT THERE
IS ALREADY LITTLE WILLINGNESS ON THE PART OF PEKING TO TAKE ACCCOUNT
OF THE INTERESTS OF THE HONG KONG CHINESE. PEOPLE REFER IN PARTICULAR TO THE VARIOUS RECENT CHINESE WARNINGS DELEVERED TO THE
BRITISH COLONIAL GOVERMENT NOT TO PUSH AHEAD TOO QUICKLY WITH THE
FORTHCOMING REFORMS.
ALL THESE EVENTS ARE REGISTERED BY THE POPULATION OF HONG KONG. THE
COMMENT CAN OFTEN BE HEARD THAT IF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IS
ALREADY ATTEMPTING TO INTERPRET THE AGREEMENT TO SUIT ITS OWN PURPOSES JUST ONE YEAR AFTER IT WAS CONCLUDED, THEN THE FUTURE LOOKS
BLEAK. CONSEQUENTLY, THE WEALTHIER CHINESE CONTINUE TO TRY TO SECURE
A SECOND EXISTENCE IN THE WEST.
SIGNED DE LYSCOM
YYYY
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